The Invention of Air - Steven Johnson

So this is a history book about the Enlightenment and the American Revolution that travels from the carbon cycle of the planet itself, to the chemistry of gunpowder, to the emergence of the coffeehouse in European culture, to the emotional dynamics of two friends compelled by history to betray each other.

This is an entertaining book about Joseph Priestly, a scientist who made some great discoveries in the late 1700s. He was also a great intellectual who contributed to a variety of discussions with famous people including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Priestly was a free thinker who opposed religious fundamentalism and supported the French revolution. That got him in trouble in Britain and he immigrated to the US seeking more freedom to continue his scientific work. That work included discovering that plants create oxygen.

The book is well written with the author displaying his own opinions on the development of science and intellectual thought. For example, he praises the benefits of early coffee shops where thoughtful people could discuss ideas at length. Priestly's life is fascinating and if this book didn't get a little bogged down with details in the last half, I would have given it my highest rating.